Death Magnet!

Well hello there stranger! Things have been moving right along here, and I can't wait to share it all with you.

So, back tracking to my last post-

I had the MRI of my knee.. and Lord, let me tell you, I NEVER want to have to endure that again. I have schedule hundreds of patients  for MRIs. I know, in theory, what goes on during an MRI, but in practice.. well, that's a horse of a different color. 
I'm not claustrophobic, not in most situations. I was fine as the tech got me into position on the "table". (I use the term table loosely here.. it was more like a slab- and being a woman if size, I was about as wide as the slab) I was still OK as he patiently explained everything as he buckled my knee into a plastic cage meant to keep my knee still. he asked my music preference- and we decided on country as he fitted the headphones over my ears (OK, a tiny but of panic here.. I know the MRI machine is a giant magnet, and you cannot have any metal on your body or in the room during the test, so my mind starts trying to figure out how they made these headphones out of materials that would not shoot into the machine and cut me to bits as I laid there with my leg buckled in.. I'm a bit dramatic, and a lot morbid when it comes to ways I could die.. fire is a big one, has been for years, since I was little. I used to have a lunchbox under the edge of my bed with a t-shirt and a pair of shorts in case my house caught fire in the night, so I could jump out the windows and not have to stand in the yard in my PJ's while my house burned down.) He asked me if I was comfortable, and I was, so off he trotted into his little booth of machinery and monitors calling out jovially, "Just give me about 35 minutes, and remember, don't move!" And that was the moment I realized my right hip was in a wonky position, and I was going to need to shift a little to get into a position that I could hold for 35 minutes. But it was too late.. and I was STUCK. (Let's add a little more panic to the mix) 
The music starts, and so does the banging of the machine. If you've ever had an MRI, you know they are NOISY. If you haven't, imagine being inside a metal drum or pipe while someone bangs on it with a rubber mallet. The music and the earphones serve to dull the noise to a tolerable level, and I tried to let myself become mesmerized by the rhythm of the pings and bangs. Let's take a trip into my head, and listen in to my self-talk:

"Oh, this isn't as bad as I thought it would be.. I was expecting an hour.. so 35 minutes should definitely be manageable. I haven't heard this song before.. I kinda like it.. too bad I can't Shazam this one. Remember the chorus.. remember the chorus... Google it later.... How long is a song usually?
5 minutes? So 7 songs and I'm done.. I can do 7 songs... Wait` what's that??"

At this point, the ping ping band rhythm changes:

"Alright! Phase one done.. can't be much longer now.. my right hip is really starting to ache... are my toes numb? I can wiggle my toes, surely.. they arn't imaging my toes.. {wiggling right toes ever so slightly} OK, good, toes are still OK, and I can wiggle a little, so that will help me keep everything else still...."

Another change in tones:

"How much longer? How many songs has it been? Awe crap, I lost count. They need a clock in here.. damn, my hip is killing me.. my right butt cheek is asleep.. I need to move.  Just be still.. don't move.. keep breathing.. oh my God!!! THIS IS TAKING FOREVER.. I can't do this.. I'm going to have to make them stop, and we are going to have to reschedule. I NEED A XANAX... oh, my HIP!!! Good God, why did I say I was comfortable? I NEED TO MOVE... How many more pings and bangs.. count the pings and bangs... AGHHHHHHH!!!"

This went on for 35 minutes.. I was sure I was going to die, but I made it, and the tech said it was the best knee MRI he had ever done.  
I saw the doctor 3 days later, and got some good news- no need for surgery. Everything in the joint itself looked good, apart from degeneration of the joint (wear and tear) and some bone spurs on the knee cap. So we came up with a new plan- Physical therapy to strengthen the muscles supporting the knee, and continued weight loss.  PT would be in the water, we have a facility locally that has an underwater treadmill, and that would prevent further damage to the knee by taking weight off of the joint. 

So, I've been doing PT twice a week for the last 6 weeks, and going to the gym in-between. I've also made some pretty major lifestyle changes, but we'll get to that in my next post. I'm headed back to work in a week, and looking forward to it.